


The Fires of Home

by wyse_ink



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Married Couple, One Shot, Post-Canon, Revised as One Shot, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-03 07:54:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17280071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyse_ink/pseuds/wyse_ink
Summary: Ten years after the end of the first series, Natsu and Lucy enjoy a quiet night alone.*One-shot and bonus snippet.





	1. The Fires of Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One-shot.

      “You’re not still mad at me, are you?”  
      Natsu’s question surprised Lucy. Their last job had been a doozy--patience had been worn thin as they’d been led around in circles by the greedy mayor who’d issued their contract, and only after that had both discovered the real task at hand was far more than they’d bargained for. The job had ended in an even tougher fight than either had anticipated with a guild of unsavory mages, and more than once Lucy had lost sight of Natsu, relying on her senses and her spirits to both keep track of him and keep the townspeople safe.  
      Still, neither of those tasks had gone smoothly. Lucy had had her hands full getting the panicked and uncooperative townspeople to safety, and even with her quick thinking, Sagittarius covering her, and her own magical reflexes, she hadn’t come out of it all unscathed. Natsu had returned just in time to see her take a particularly hard hit and reacted without thinking: something that had resulted in the leveling of a town hall and the two of them nearly being dismissed without a check because of it. It hadn’t been until the townspeople had rallied and given their support to them that they’d received their pay. The townspeople had even turned down Lucy’s offer to stay and help with the repairs, claiming that the loss of the town hall and the mayor’s office wasn’t their top priority anyway. In the end, she supposed it’d been worth it: they’d been able to help the townspeople and save the town itself--well, most of it--in the process.  
      More than anything, though, she was just happy to be home again. Natsu had made himself comfortable on the couch, his arms stretched out and his head rested back against the pillow. He glanced over at her curiously, and realizing he was still waiting for a response, she sighed.  
      “I wasn’t mad at you, Natsu. I was just frustrated with the situation.”  
      “You and me both. What a friggin’ cheapskate.”  
      “You did overreact a little,” Lucy admitted gently. “Besides, those people won’t have to worry about him anymore. Something tells me they’ll elect a new mayor any day now.”  
      Natsu watched her for a moment, a small smile forming on his face. “‘Ya know, what you did with that bow was pretty badass, Lucy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone make a save with one like that.”  
      She smiled at that. Really, she hadn’t even known what she’d done for sure. One minute she’d taken a hit from an enemy mage and been knocked from a rooftop, the next she’d twisted around, catching the edge of an open shutter with her bow and bracing herself as it swung with her impact. She’d braced herself just before it’d struck wall and forced the bow loose, and when she’d heard Natsu nearing, she’d kicked herself free and fallen to him. He’d caught her as he always had, and it seemed that within an instant he was gone again.  
      This time the crash and explosion of a building following shortly after.  
      She stood before him for a moment, trying to suppress the smirk that her smile threatened to turn to. “You might be out of another job one day, then,” she teased, setting her hands on his shoulders and resting her knee on the cushion beside him. She watched his expression change as she settled over him, her knees pressed into the back cushions on either side of him.  
      “Yeah, right,” he laughed. “You’re not gettin’ rid of me that easily.”  
      It baffled her that even after all this time his grin and chuckle could still make her blush. That, Lucy thought, and too many other things about him: his hair always seemed to be a mess, he always had new cuts, bruises, or scars to display, and always smelled a strange mix of the outdoors with a trace of sweat and smoke. He was loud and rash and both spoke and acted without thinking, but at some point in their friendship, she had grown to appreciate each and every one of these aspects. He was just Natsu, with all his strange and adventurous quirks and energy. He loved a challenge and had never once hesitated to fight for those he cared about. He’d helped her come out of her shell and stood by her side through some of her most difficult and taxing trials--made her laugh so hard she’d cried and at times annoyed her beyond belief. He’d been her closest friend for the past ten years: her best friend that had shown her what it meant to become the best wizard she could be and how to fight for those she loved.  
      At some point--and she’d never been able to pinpoint exactly when--she’d realized that included him.  
      That in itself had been an adventure.  
      She rested her forehead against his and traced small circles with her thumbs at his jawline.  
      “You smell good,” he murmured, and she laughed.  
      “You actually do too for a change.”  
      “Really.”  
      She tilted her head slightly as his eyes drifted to her lips. Leaning in closer, she let the tip of her nose brush against his. She felt his breath on her skin as he exhaled slowly, the warmth and familiarity of it sending a flutter through her. With a small sigh, she pressed a light kiss into the corner of his lips. “Thank you for catching me.”  
      Natsu hummed in response. He nuzzled her slightly, sliding his arms around her and pulling her closer to him. Lucy welcomed the kiss he gave her then, letting him part her lips with his own just enough so that his teeth clipped her bottom lip. She slapped his shoulder playfully in protest, and against her she could feel him grin.  
      “I thought you liked that one,” he teased.  
      “I never said that.”  
      “You acted like it.”  
      Lucy didn’t miss the mischievous gleam in his eyes at that one. She gripped the front of his shirt and pushed him back deeper into the back cushions of the couch. “You assume too much.”  
      If he’d had a witty retort it never surfaced, and instead Lucy found herself kissing him again, loosening her grip as his hands wandered down her legs, up her hips and back and waist. His lips wandered just as much, leaving a trail from her lips to her jawline and her neck. They lingered over the curve of it as he pulled the neck of her t-shirt aside. Lucy inhaled sharply as he planted a series of small kisses there, his mouth hot against the newly bared skin. Turning inward toward him she kissed his hair and let out slow, cool breath against his ear.  
      “Luce-”  
      Lucy nipped his ear before he could finish his sentence. Before she could react beyond a yelp he’d sat up, standing and lifting her in the same swift motion.  
      “Geez, and you say I’m not subtle.”  
      “You’re not.”  
      He carried her up the stairs to their room, kicking the door shut behind them and depositing her on the bed. Propping herself up on her elbows she extended her foot as he began to join her, pinning it against his chest and stopping him.  
      “The door.”  
      “What about it?”  
      “Lock it,” she said, letting her toes trail down his shirt. “You don’t want a repeat of last time, do you?” She felt her skin flush at that, the memory of seeing the Exceed’s color-drained face in the doorway and the jeers that had followed sending a shudder through her.  
      Natsu gave her a knowing smirk, catching her ankle and leaning down over her. “Happy won’t even be back ‘til tomorrow.”  
      “Hmm.” She watched his calloused hand trace her leg. A shaky breath escaped her as he turned his head, his mouth tracing where his hand had been and settling over her inner thigh. The look he gave her was one she knew well: one that contained remnants of the one he’d given her in their earlier days of intimacy--curiosity, a little dazed, and completely and thoroughly tender. Now there too was a glimmer of roguery, one that seemed to darken as a smirk appeared on his face and he bit at the tender skin there.  
      “You’re pushing your luck,” she warned. “If I can’t wear my new skirt tomorrow, I’m not going to be happy.”  
      “Who said you need a skirt?”  
      She traced the side of his torso with her free leg and pressed her knee against his arm to pull him in. He followed instinctively before settling his weight over her, and shifting slightly, she let her arms snake around his neck to pull him into a kiss.  
      Lucy had long relished in the way he kissed her, even back when neither of them had had a clue how. She could never predict how it might be: their clumsiness in that too had quickly subsided, replaced by something a bit too eager, maybe a little unintentionally rough, and something that had blossomed into an act so natural that Lucy had begun to wonder if they’d always been meant to try. At times, those kisses had grown more heated--those had been the types that had always caught her off-guard the most. She’d always thought Natsu figured out the physical side of things more quickly than she had, even if she’d never been able to pinpoint why.  
      Sometimes she wondered if it was simply instinctual. Before they’d been married, Lucy had tried her best not to give much thought to how things might be with him until they’d progressed to that point, and even with the not-so-subtle signals she’d given him afterward, it’d still taken them nearly a week to consummate the union. Natsu had been terribly dense at first, and later he’d confessed that he hadn’t even known she’d wanted to--a comment that had resurfaced time and time again in her memory that she now laughed at. But if he’d been a bit clueless then, she thought as they removed their clothes, he certainly wasn’t now. Her breath caught as his hand trailed down her body and between her legs. She bit her lip as he toyed at her entrance, and he paused, pressing his lips against her ear as he spoke.  
      “You all right?”  
      “Yeah.” Her head dipped back against her pillow at the feeling of him exploring her. She never had gotten used to it: not his calloused hands or even the way she seemed to melt the longer he spent readying her. She certainly had never gotten used to him being gentle: in many other ways he was often too unrestrained or careless. Even with friends he often got into sparring matches that sent one or both flying across the guild hall, and Lucy had been no stranger to playing a background role in these matches whether she’d wanted to or not. This sort of thing was different though, she thought as he began to enter her. It had been since the very first time they’d tried.  
      In fact, she thought as she fought off a gasp, she quickly started to wonder how the hell he’d figured so much out so quickly. She responded easily to him, to his touch and movement; his breathing and easy pace. She moved with him almost lazily, her arms draped over him and fingernails barely brushing his neck and back. Tracing his lower back with her heel she sighed, feeling the way he responded to her and letting a small sound escape from her lips. He paused for a moment, and she was sure she felt the hint of a smirk against her ear. She was sure it turned into a grin as she rolled against him impatiently. That alone send a current through her, one that amplified as he snaked his arms between her back and the sheets and gripped her shoulders tightly.  He began to move again, his new grip on her shoulders coaxing her to arch against him in response. She kissed him roughly, struggling to suppress the moans that rose in her throat. She bit his lower lip hard as one escaped, and she felt his breath staccato in response.  
      “Natsu,” she breathed, not bothering to stifle the small cry that followed from her lips. She allowed one again, his unusually slow pace agonizing. She pressed herself more roughly against him, desperate for the friction of his skin against hers. And his was burning even hotter than usual, she thought as her legs closed more tightly around his waist.  
      “Geez, Luce,” he half-growled. “You’re not making this easy.”  
      “I’m not trying to,” she purred, and he half-laughed. To her dismay he pulled away from her slightly, leaving her breasts and abdomen exposed. The sudden lack of heat shocked her and she shivered, a tingle running down her spine as he pressed into her again and again. She choked back a whimper as he descended on her again, his lips and tongue hot on her nipple. Her body lurched at that, and she covered her mouth from the intensity of the shock that ran through her. “Na--ah!” She grabbed at his hair, tangling her fingers in it tightly and tugging desperately. She’d begun to tremble, from the heat and wetness of his mouth and tongue and the thrusts that seemed to grow more urgent by the minute. Her hair stood up on the back of her neck as he settled over her again. She fought the urge to dig her fingernails into the back of his neck as his heated breath grazed her ear. Her trembles had grown to shakes now, and she mumbled something to him that only made her own blush deepend.  
      “You sure?” he asked, his voice low and as desperate as hers. With a small, incredulous chuckle, she nodded against him. He shifted above her then, letting out a hallowed breath and pushing deeper into her.  
      Loosening her legs involuntarily around him she fell into his new pace. She clung to him, whimpering again as she felt her body lurch. The words that followed were incoherent, parts of his name cut off and blending with heavy pants and frantic breaths. Her head dipped back against the pillow as he pulled hard against her.  
      She was far beyond the point now where weakness overtook her. With it had come the build, that strange, overwhelming and lightheaded warmth that spread like fire through her, first in flickers then in flames. It was entirely too close to driving her to ruin and she craved it, pushing herself against and with him. Digging her nails into him she gasped as the first shock ran through her and moved roughly against him, desperate to see it to fruition. Natsu seemed to have lost his control too, his movements and pants as sporadic as her own. She couldn’t wait any longer. She didn’t want to. She arched into him as the wave overtook her violently, gripping at the skin of his nape and back as both grew taut. Her hands and body shook even as he pulled away, his own body falling limp over her.  
      Neither spoke. Lucy fought to catch her breath as he did the same, his weight over her making the effort even more apparent. Dazed, she rubbed the back of his dampened neck, her hands still trembling even as he rolled to her side. She was certain her entire body was flushed scarlet, and the beads of sweat that had formed on her skin nearly burned at it. Despite both, she reached for the sheet and carefully pulled it over them both. She felt Natsu’s hand at her cheek as he brushed some of her dampened, golden strands away from her face. He didn’t say anything as he shifted to his side and reached across her then, draping an arm over her waist and tilting her toward him to kiss him. Lucy accepted it mindlessly, letting his lips move against hers so chastely and gently that she laughed at the irony of it all.  
      “What’s so funny?”  
      “You.”  
      He raised an eyebrow slightly before releasing her. With a grunt he settled onto his back. Lucy watched him for a moment, taking in his familiar profile and the way his chest rose and fell. Her eyes rested over the scar on his neck and her smile faded. She wasn’t sure she even knew how many he’d acquired since they’d met. Certainly, there were a number of new ones from recent years alone, marking his back and arms and abdomen. Most were subtle--just knicks that he’d neglected to care for before they’d settled in permanently. Others had been more serious, from big battles he’d barely managed to come away from.  
      Those were the ones she appreciated most. They were a sign that he’d endured and a reminder that everything they’d faced, they’d made it through together. Even if there had been a way to get rid of them, Lucy wouldn’t have wanted him to.  
      She nestled himself against his arm. “What time do you want to go to the guild hall tomorrow?”  
      “Whenever we wake up.”  
      Lucy smiled at that. She had a feeling that when morning came, she wouldn’t be in any hurry either.


	2. The Next Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus snippet.
> 
> Tumblr Link: http://random-animezing.tumblr.com/post/182587905371/the-next-morning

      “Son of a-!” Lucy barely managed to move her hand as the washing machine door nearly snapped shut on top of it. She set her now-empty basket on top, reaching for the knob and turning the machine on before straightening again.  
      “You all right?” Natsu’s voice came from kitchen, and she nodded to herself.  
      “I’m fine.” _If you don’t count the obvious_ , she thought as she went to join him. The smell of melting butter and cheese hit her as she walked in and she inhaled deeply, taking in the sight of him at the stove. Long ago she’d realized Natsu wasn’t the type who could be trusted in a kitchen. He made a mess, and when given the freedom to do whatever he wanted, he used far too many ingredients for single dishes--some of which, Lucy recalled, may or may not have even been edible. He’d also had a tendency to grow impatient with ovens or stoves, instead using his own fire to cook the food faster. That was all well and good when they were outdoors, of course, but after replacing two sets of curtains and a hand towel Lucy had determined that some rules had to be set before he was allowed to touch any of the groceries or equipment.  
      Aside from his overzealousness and impatience, though, there were some dishes Natsu wasn’t bad at preparing--one of which he was finishing up now for the both of them. It had always baffled her that he could make the perfect grilled cheese, and even if it was early in the morning her stomach grumbled at the sight and smell of it as he dumped it with a spatula unceremoniously on her plate. She took it quickly, making her way to the table and taking a seat.  
      “I’m not used to having the place to ourselves,” Lucy commented, and he nodded as he joined her.  
      “It’s kind of weird,” he replied. “Usually Happy would already be halfway through his fish.”  
      “He seemed really excited about his trip, though. He always has liked spending time with Wendy and Carla.”  
      “Mostly the latter.” Lucy smiled to herself. She turned her attention to her plate and took a bite of her sandwich. “This is perfect.”  
      “Mm.” He smiled, downing half of his in one loud gulp. “It’d be better with some meat.”  
      “We _had_ plenty,” she said, shooting him a look. He just shrugged, turning his attention back to what was left of his meal. Something Lucy had learned long before she and Natsu had even become a couple was that he either had no sense of pacing himself when it came to food or didn’t care to. In truth this still often annoyed her, though she’d long learned to work out a system in which Natsu accompanied her to the store almost every time and piled all he knew he’d eat into a cart himself. Of course she’d created the budget too, and while between jobs and her book sales they’d been doing well, she still had to draw a line somewhere. Fortunately, food was really the only area he tended to overindulge in, and Lucy couldn’t deny there was good reason for it.  
      She sneaked a glance at him as he stood up to make himself seconds. She’d never been completely oblivious to his appearance, though she’d aggressively suppressed some of her observations when they’d been friends. Even the moments she’d dared to acknowledge that he was cute had felt so foreign to her back then, and she’d often been embarrassed by those thoughts and any that had stemmed from it. She certainly wouldn’t have dared to take them further. But now, she thought as she took in the familiar tanned skin, the well-defined muscles that rippled beneath it, and the scars that marked him in a few places, she embraced those thoughts fully. Lucy smiled to herself again, turning her attention back to her lunch. If Natsu had had any idea that she’d been ogling him so shamelessly, she was sure he’d call her a pervert.  
      And what would happen next was something she wasn’t up for just yet again.  
      Finishing her sandwich she stood up, picking up her plate and setting it in the sink. She made her way over to him then and snaked her arms around his torso. “We should probably get going once you’re done with that.”  
      “In a hurry?”  
      “No, but it _is_ almost noon.” _And we really don’t want a repeat of last time_ , she thought to herself. She’d thought that some of her guildmates’ suspicious and teasing commentary would’ve subsided after she and Natsu had gotten married. Erza and Cana had been surprisingly vicious, trying to get the kind of details Lucy thought were best left behind closed doors. Levy had been a bit more forgiving, only fishing for reasons why a young married couple might possibly be showing up to the guild hall late. Juvia never pressed her at all, instead volunteering far too many details about her own private life that Lucy wasn’t sure she’d ever wanted to know in the first place.  
      She stood on her tiptoes and gave Natsu a peck on the cheek. With that, she released him and went to get ready for the day.

**Author's Note:**

> Re-uploaded as a one-shot.
> 
> \- Please do not copy or upload to any other site.  
> \- Special thanks to KeturahDaine of FF.net for reviewing this chapter for me and for recommending the title!
> 
> Also posted on Tumblr: http://random-animezing.tumblr.com/post/181665136586/the-fires-of-home-wyseink-fairy-tail-archive


End file.
